The Greatest Showmen

The period of the campaign shall be as follows Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election lasts for 90 days while the Election of Members of the Batasang Pambansa and Local Elections have 45 days to woo voters to their side and hopefully win at the game of chance.

In the city, local candidates have long started their campaigns, sidestepping guidelines while doing the rounds to meet and greet the citizenry poised to catapult them into office.

Their strategy varies and degrees of civility will test your patience. There are those who gatecrash weddings, going uninvited and congratulating the newlyweds regardless of acquaintance and go about the handshaking and mini-campaign, this is true with birthday parties, family reunions.

Wakes are not spared either, the candidate is known to do the rounds and when death comes a-knocking at your door, expect these political hopefuls to follow suit. They will offer sincere words of comfort and remorse for the unfortunate incident and pray with you.

If a disaster strikes during the period of the campaign, expect food relief items to be underway, but with small notes, flyers, pictures, posters, and maybe tarps tossed into the essential items to remind you of who gave the mana. Life milestones offer the best leverage for candidates who grab the opportunity for exposure, for 45 days, local candidates will try to woo your votes to their favor.

The campaign has become a spectacle, to say the least. Weeks ago, I was doing laundry one drab Saturday afternoon when my domesticated bliss was interrupted by a political candidate silently walking along with our neighborhood. He was knocking door to door giving away pictures of himself printed on a small calling card with the backside bearing emergency numbers.

He would give each household a copy of these and introduce himself, make small talk and move on to the next house. My home was not spared and I engaged in the obligatory small talk. Let the games begin!

Amianan Balita Ngayon